Never Say 'Never'
by Akaaka04
Summary: When two friends grow closer, their friendship soon starts to bloom into a stronger feeling called 'Love'. Will they admit to the feeling they both share soon, or will they both be doomed to a life where they'll always be, just friends?


**Auother's Note:** Oh, Eeem, Gee. This is my very first published story. :3

It took quite a while to finish, actually, with the brainstorming, and the typing, and the daydreaming, and all. I'm proud to say that I have enjoyed typing every single word in this creation of mine. I hope you fellow readers are ready to begin your quest with this. owolll

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Disclaimer: **Sadly, Naruto-Kun does not belong to me (-Sniff-). All original Naruto characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto-Sama. :D

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Claimer: **Anything not part of the original Naruto manga/anime belongs to me. This means Rosa is **MINE**.

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**一 見**

**At First Glance**

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How would you like being one of the most hated people in your hometown? How would you ever live through it, day after day? How would you be able to see the world in a positive light, when you were an orphan, all alone, and without any support? Amazingly, a young girl could, and she was just barely the age of eight; her name was Yoshido, Rosa.

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~ x ~

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Rosa had been awake since 8:19 AM. She got up, and went in search of her breakfast. With her stomach rumbling every five minutes, she quickened her pace. Several people were already walking down the streets, stopping in front of sellers to see what they could buy.

"_I could really use some ramen, now..."_ Rosa thought, her stomach rumbling, yet again.

As she turned the corner down the street, she could finally see the Ichiraku Ramen shop. She reached the opening to the store, and stopped in her tracks, taking in a few deep breaths. Rosa was a shy, young girl, so she often ran into certain situations where she grew nervous for the smallest of things. After reassuring herself that everything would be okay, she took in a last deep breath, and entered the store.

To her luck, no one was there, except for the cooking staff, which consisted of the cook, and his daughter. Nervously walking forward, she managed to get to the counter and ring the bell that was there. A soft _ping _echoed out into the shop, and the cook quickly stepped out of the back to attend her. He took out a small notebook and a pen, ready to take her order.

"How may I help you, young lady?" He asked, smiling down at her.

"I, I'd like to have a m, miso ramen, please." She squeaked, feeling a light blush on her cheeks.

"For here, or to go?" He asked, scribbling the order down.

"H, Here, please." She replied, looking down at her shoes.

"I'll have the order done in just a few minutes..." He replied, getting ready to make the order.

Since the order wouldn't be done for a little while, Rosa sat down on one of the stools attached to the table. Not knowing what to do, she looked around the shop for a while. Imagining that her mind was a piece of paper, her head, the pencil, and the background the picture, she began outlining it. _Trace, trace, trace; trace, trace, erase._

"Yosh! Order up!" The cook said, placing her bowl of ramen and chopsticks in front of her.

"Arigatou." She said, smiling and bowing.

"It's no problem, dear." He replied, smiling and going to the back of the shop.

After breaking her chopsticks in half and saying 'Itadakimasu", Rosa immediately started digging in. Boy, she hadn't eaten like this since... a long time ago! In fact, Rosa was so hungry, that she finished the whole bowl in what seemed like minutes! After finishing, she wiped her mouth, and burped lightly. She took out the money she owed, and rang the bell again. The cook came from the back to the counter, and smiled.

"All finished?" He asked, picking up the chopsticks.

"Hai, how much is it?" She asked, counting the money to make sure she had enough.

"1, 230 yen, please." The cook replied, ringing it up on the counter.

Rosa counted the money she had in her hand. This couldn't be right; Rosa was sure she had enough money. She recounted the money again. 1, 100 yen was certainly not enough to pay for her meal. If the cook found out, he'd really be mad at her, not to mention that he'd kick her out and never let her go back in anymore...

"Anou, I don't seem to have enough..." She said, looking down.

"Did you check under your plate, dear?" The cook said, lifting it up.

To her surprise, the missing 130 yen were there. How on earth did they get there? She probably didn't realize that the money slipped out of her hand, somehow. That, or she forgot that she had left it there. Bless this cook; he saved her an embarrassment of a life time. As she recounted the money she had in her hand (with the missing yen under her plate), she counted all 1, 230 yen as present.

"Douzo." She said, leaning forward and giving the cook his money.

"Arigatou." He replied, ringing it in the cash register.

After bowing, Rosa headed for the exit of the shop, only to bump into a young boy. The boy had the brightest blonde hair she had ever seen. It looked like the sun had fallen from the sky, and had attached itself to his head. He had wonderful, intense, ocean-blue eyes, and three whisker-like marks on both of his cheeks. He was about her height, but an inch or two taller. He wore a white shirt with a strange red symbol on the front, and wore green shorts.

"Gomen, I didn't see you there!" He said, smiling and rubbing the back of his head.

"_I've got to leave. If I become friends with him, who knows what'll happen..." _Rosa thought.

Rosa looked at the exit, and then at the boy. Should she answer back, and risk her chances with fate, or should she leave, and never see him again? Her stomach made her feel uneasy and sick, which was not a good sign. She began to feel her palms getting sweatier by the minute. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and began running as fast as she could out of the shop.

"Ch, Chotto mate!" The boy said, running after her.

Rosa didn't know what to do. She had successfully managed to not speak to him, but had created a new problem instead. She now had a semi-stalker; lovely. After turning the corner down the alley, she began to run out of ideas. She couldn't outrun him much longer, for he was too fast. When she ran into a dead end, she knew it was a matter of time before he got to her.

"_Iie! Now what'll I do...?" _She thought anxiously.

Rosa heard footsteps stop at the end of the alley. When she turned around, the boy she had met earlier was there. He was panting, and a lot of sweat clung to his forehead. He took a step forward, took a little breath, and took another step forward. His blue eyes were even more intense than before.

"Finally...! I thought I'd lost you there, dattebayou..." He said, still panting.

"W, What do you want?" Rosa said, sitting down while being pressed up against the wall.

"Why did you leave the shop like that?"

Now she'd done it. If she answered his question, she'd be bound to tell him how... strange she was. If she didn't, she'd still have to deal with him chasing her. When life gives you lemons, what do you do with them? She didn't want to grow close with the boy, because that would put them both in danger.

"I'm sorry to say that it's my business, only."

"YOU were the one who started it! The least you can do is tell me, dattebayou..."

"_Crap..." _No way out of it now...

"If I tell you, will you promise to leave me alone?"

"Hai, dattebayou!" The boy said, smiling and saluting.

"I left because I didn't want to speak with you."

"Doushite?"

How many questions did this kid have? The more answers she gave out, the more he'd want to know. The more he'd want to know, the more questions he'd have. But then again, she was curious about him too, so it was worth a shot...

"If I did, I'd become friends with you, which, I'm not allowed to have."

"You're not allowed to have friends? By who?" He asked, finally closing the gap between them.

"Wakarimasen..." She replied, looking away.

"_She's just like me in a way: lonely, and in need of friends..." _A frown was on the boy's face.

The boy got down on his knees so he would be eye-to-eye with Rosa. She looked up when she felt a hand on her shoulder. His eyes looked very sincere with concern. For once, this boy looked like he was friendly, and _not_ out to get her. Do you know how _rare _that is in Rosa's perspective? Very, that's how.

"Do you have any friends at all?" He asked.

"Iie..." She replied, frowning herself.

"Well, that's about to change, because _I'm _going to be your friend, dattebayou."

"Hounto?" She asked, shocked at the sudden change of atmosphere.

"Hai, dattebayou! If we're going to be friends though, you've gotta learn to not freak out about the smallest of things; today at the ramen shop, for example..." He said, grinning.

"Arigatou." Rosa said, smiling back.

The boy stood back up, and extended a hand to her. She looked at his hand, and then up at him. He smiled an even bigger smile, and with that, she took his hand, and stood up. She dusted herself off, and nervously stood in front of him, not knowing what to say.

"So, where are you going after this?" He asked, looking into the exit of the alley.

"Wakarimasen; the spot where I usually sleep was taken by someone else..." She said, frowning.

"Someone else? Don't you have a place to stay?" He asked, confused.

"Iie, I live on the streets..."

Now what was she going to do? No person would want to be friends with someone who lives on the streets. Now that he knew, he _really_ wasn't going to want to be her friend. She never should've told him that in the first place. She really blew it again this time...

"Daijyoubu, I'll just ask Iruka-Sensei if you can stay with us, dattebayou!" He said, grinning.

"Iruka-Sensei...?" She asked in a confused tone.

"Hai, dattebayou! He's my Sensei from school, but he and I live together, like a family."

"Souka..." Rosa replied, feeling lonely when she heard the word 'family'.

"Iruka-Sensei will think of you as family, too! He took me in when I was still little, and ever since then, I've always looked up to him as a father." The boy smiled as he said so.

"You don't have parents?" Rosa asked, instantly feeling sorry for him.

"Iie, but that doesn't get me down anymore. Besides, when I grow up, I'm gonna be Hokage! That way, everyone will finally look up to me, respect me, and finally recognize me as _the_ greatest Hokage ever; Uzumaki Naruto, dattebayou!" He said, beaming.

"So, your name's 'Naruto', ne?" Rosa asked.

"Hai; what about you?"

"Watashi wa Yoshido, Rosa desu. I'm Yoshido, Rosa." She replied, smiling.

"Well, Rosa-Chan, consider yourself lucky; you've found a friend, _and _a home, all in one day!"

And with that, he took her hand, and led her out of the alleyway.

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~ x ~

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As Naruto got out the keys to open the door to his apartment, Rosa waited patiently at his side to do so. She was still in shock that she had been 'adopted' so easily, but nonetheless, Rosa was dog-gone happy. As the click was heard from inside the door knob, Naruto opened the door and motioned for Rosa to follow him inside. She nodded, took off her shoes, and stepped inside, looking around the living room in amazement. Naruto took off his own, and placed them on top of a mat that read, "Ramen Sweet Ramen".

Rosa smiled to herself and followed Naruto into the kitchen, where a tall man stood cooking on the stove. A rather delicious smell hovered in the air, and Rosa just couldn't help but smell at the delectable aroma. As Naruto motioned for her to stay where she was, he carefully tip-toed over to the man, making sure his footsteps weren't heard on the floor. He was almost there... Just a few more steps and...

"Stop it Naruto, I know it's you." The man said, looking back at him and smiling.

As the man looked back to see Naruto, he noticed Rosa standing awkwardly in the kitchen's entry way as his smile slowly started to fade. The man didn't know why she was there, but he assumed Naruto had brought her with him. Deciding not to get too angry with Naruto, the man looked directly at Rosa, not knowing what to ask or think. She was probably a friend of his, but her clothing sure proved otherwise. The poor girl probably lived on the streets for all he knew; that's when he decided to change that.

"Who's your friend, Naruto?" The man asked, smiling in her direction.

"Her name's Rosa Yoshido, Iruka-Sensei! I met her at the Ichiraku Ramen shop, and since then, she and I have become friends, dattebayou!" Naruto explained to Iruka, motioning for Rosa to come closer.

"N, Nice to meet you..." Rosa said, bowing to Iruka.

"The pleasure's all mine! What's a lovely young lady doing in our humble, home?" Iruka-Sensei asked, making Rosa blush lightly.

"Iruka-Sensei, after I met Rosa-Chan, I found out she lived on the streets. I didn't want to leave her alone again, so I decided to let her live with us!" Naruto said, smiling in delight.

"Naruto, did you ask for her permission?" Iruka-Sensei asked, eyebrows raised.

"Sure I asked! That's why she's here with me, dattebayou!"

"You're sure she's okay with it? What about her parents? They might be worried about her..." Iruka-Sensei asked, frowning at Naruto.

"A, Actually, I don't have parents; I'm an orphan." Rosa replied, looking down.

Iruka-Sensei and Naruto didn't know what to say. Both were in a minor shock, and felt the quick need to take a deep breath. Who would've thought Rosa was an orphan? They sure didn't. Now that they both knew the truth, however, they could no longer just let Rosa stay; they both had to helpher with what she was dealing with, too.

"Are you sure you're an orphan, Rosa-San?" There isn't anyone who could take you back, claiming they were a distant family member of yours?" Iruka-Sensei asked, concern in his voice.

"Iie, Iruka-Sensei." Rosa replied, reassuring them both.

"Naruto, why don't you show Rosa-San around the house? I need to think about letting her stay for a little while..."

Naruto nodded, grabbed Rosa's hand, and took her out of the kitchen. As Naruto's and Rosa's footsteps slowly started to fade away, Iruka took a seat, closing his eyes in the process. He wasn't mad at Naruto for bringing a complete stranger into their home, but he wasn't too thrilled about not being informed, either. Iruka understood where Naruto was coming from, but he also thought that Naruto could have thought this through a little more.

Iruka understood the pain that Naruto and Rosa both shared. At a very young age, he too, was left as an orphan. The pain he suffered from then on was unbearable. He didn't want Rosa to continue living her life alone. Naruto really seemed to like her, so he could give it a shot. Iruka had always seen Naruto as a son, and he only wanted what was best for him; if it meant making room for one more person, then Iruka better act quickly.

"Hey, Naruto; Rosa?" Iruka-Sensei asked, his voice echoing through the apartment.

"Yeah, dattebayou?" Naruto's voice called back, distant in another room.

"Come here please."

Shuffling was heard from down the hall. Tiny footsteps were heard hitting against the floor as Rosa and Naruto walked into the kitchen; Iruka had finally made up his mind.

"I've thought about the idea of Rosa staying over for a while..."

"So, would it be okay if she stayed? I promise I'll make sure she likes it here, dattebayou!" Naruto pleaded, hands in front of his face.

"You don't need to promise me anything, Naruto. I'm pretty sure she'll like it here on her own." Iruka said, smiling.

Naruto's face immediately gleamed in delight as a huge grin covered his face from ear to ear. He hugged Iruka right at the spot, almost making him tip over backwards with his chair. Iruka smiled and chuckled light-heartedly as he pat Naruto's back. Rosa bowed, a small smile forming on her face.

"Arigatou Iruka-Sensei; may Kami-Sama bless you forever." She said in a gentle voice.

"Alright, who's hungry?" Iruka-Sensei asked, letting go of Naruto and standing up to get to the stove.

"I am!" Naruto and Rosa cried in unison, quickly sitting down at the table.

"Good. After we're done eating, you have to take a shower, Rosa-San." Iruka-Sensei said, stirring the freshly made soup on the stove.

"Aw, but I just got here! Don't I get a special 'First Day Off' discount?"


End file.
